Card devices, otherwise referred to herein as card-like devices, store information via (i) a magnetic stripe located on a facing of the card device and/or (ii) memory associated with an embedded integrated circuit (i.e., a so-called smart card device). The information stored on such card devices is typically information that is deemed to be confidential information, such as user information, account information or the like.
Wrong-doers can readily capture the information stored on card devices by employing card skimming devices, which are unauthorized devices that merely capture the data and do not further transmit the data for an authorized purpose. Once the information has been captured, the wrong-doers may seek to create unauthorized duplicate card devices or the like. The possibility of having a card read by a card skimming device, increases when a user of the card device is no longer in possession of the card device (e.g., when a user provides the card device to a waiter at a restaurant for making payment and the waiter conducts the payment transaction out-of-sight of the user). In such instances, a wrong-doer in possession of the card device absent the user, may have the card device read via a valid authorized card reader (i.e., a point-of-sale terminal authorized to conduct payment transactions) and additionally may subject the card to one or more unauthorized card skimming devices. Once the card is returned to the user, the user has no way of determining that the card device has been subjected to the unauthorized card skimming devices.
Therefore, a need exists to allow for a user to determine unauthorized reading of data from a card device. In this regard, the desired devices, systems and the like should allow for the user to not only be aware of the number of times that a card device has been read (i.e., swiping of the magnetic stripe or communicating data from a smart chip card device) but also whether the readings are authorized or unauthorized readings. In addition, the desired invention should provide for numerous ways by which the user can be notified and/or made aware of the number of instances in which the card has been swiped at a magnetic stripe reader or communicated data via the smart chip (embedded integrated circuit (IC)) and, in specific embodiments, means by which the card may be deactivated in response to determining a prescribed number of instances of swiping the card device at a magnetic stripe reader or communicated data via the embedded IC of a smart card device.